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(No Model.)

S. S. PUTNAM, Jr. SELF ADJUSTINGPBNDBR 0R GUARD PORv RAILWAY GARS.

,393. Patented July l, 1890.

SILAS S. PUTNAM, JR., OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO IVILLIAM W. VHITMARSH, OF SAME PLACE.

SELF-ADJUSTING FENDER OR GUARD FOR RAILWAY-CARS?.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 431,393, dated July 1, 1890.

r Application tiled March 28,1890. Serial No. 345,742. (No model.) l

To all whom, it may concern: The bolts a a, upon which the fender D is Be it known that I, SILAS S. PUTNAM, .I r., a hung, pass through suitable apertures in its citizen of the United States, residing at Bossides and enter the ends of the bar O, the ton,in the eountyof Suffolk and State of Masfender being supported with its lower edge 5 sachusetts, h'ave invented a Self-Adjusting quite close to the ground, and being free to 55 Fender or Guard for Railway-Cars, of which rock or oscillate upon its pivots a a either the following is a full, clear, and exact descripdownwardly or upwardly. The pivots d a are tion, reference being had to the accom panyso placed that the fender will swing dow uward ing drawings, making part of this specitcaby its own weight to its proper level,in which 1o tion, in whichposition it is supported by a spring b, coiled 6c Figure l is a perspective view of a strectaround and fastened to the bar C, whereby it' railway car having' my improved self-adjustthe fender is depressed or rocked downward ing fenders or guards applied to the ends by encountering an obstruction it will be inthereof. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the under stantly returned toits original position when i5 side of one end of the same. Fig. 3 is a lonreleased. 65 gitudinal vertical section on the line n: of d CZ are two bars, which are attached to the I `g.2. Figli: is a vertical section on theline under side of the supporting-bars B B by 1J .U 0f Fig- 2 means of screws e passing through slots f,

My invention relates particularly to fenders whereby they are made adjustable longitudizo or guards for street-railway cars propelled by nally, the outer ends of the bars d serving as 7o electric or other motors where an ordinary stops to limit the rocking movement of the fender rigidly or solidlysecured to the front fender when depressed, and these stops are of the ear cannot be used to advantage, for preferably so adjusted that the fender will the reason that when said fender is placed as not come into contact therewith until its front 25 near to the track as is desirable to avoid acciedge touches the ground. In case, however, 7 5 dents the longitudinal rocking or joltingmothe fender is brought into contact with the tion of the car will cause it to strikethe ground by the excessive jolting or longitudi ground and therebybecomeinj ured orbroken, nal rocking motion of the car, it will readily while if placed at a sufficient height above yield or rock upward on its pivots d a., and 3o the ground to avoid liability of contact therebe instantly returned to its proper level by 8o with it will not answer the purpose for which its own weight as the end of the car to which it is intended. To overcome this difficulty is it is attached rises, thus avoiding any liabilthe obj eet of my invention, which consists in ity of breakage orinj ury to the parts, as would the combination, with a railway-car, of a selfoccur if the fender were rigidly attached to 3 5 adjusting fender or guard adapted to rock or the car. The spring b maybe of any suitable 85 oscillate on its pivots toward or from the form or description,and,if desired, thefender ground independently of the car to which it may be provided with a spring or springs is attached, means for holding said fender at adapted to return it to its proper level when the proper level and automatically returning rocked either upward or downward, instead 4o it to its normal position after being rocked of hanging it so that one portion will over- 9o or oscillated, andan adjustable stop for limbalance the other. iting the downwardly-rocking movement of In order to prevent the front edge 1001i the the fender, as hereinafter set forth. f fender, if brought down upon the ground, In the said drawings, A represents the front from catching under a stone or other obstruc- 45 portion of a railway-car, from the under side tion, which might cause it to buckle up or 95 et' which project two horizontal supportingbecome bent or broken, I provide the fender bars B B, carrying a transverse shaft or bar on its under side near the front edge with a C, to the opposite ends of which is pivoted curved or ereseentshaped ange g, the inner the fender D, preferably composed of sheet edge 15 of which is slightly below the level of 5o metal, and of any suitable or desirable form, the said front edge 10, whereby the latter is loo prevented from actually striking the ground, the edge of' the guard g receiving the blow and sliding along the ground, thus preventing any possibility of accident from this cause.

If desired, the flange g may be dispensed with and the front edge of the fender provided with one or more anti-friction rolls,

which would answer the same purpose to prevent the front edge l0 of the fender from catching under any slight projection or obstruction in the road.

It will be obvious that in case the fender should strike a person on the track it will instantly rock or oscillate downward on its pivots against the resistance of the spring b, thus materially lessening the shock of the collision and bringing its front edge l0 so close to the ground that nothing can get beneath it, while the rounded form of the fender, combined with its tendency to spring upward and regain its normal position or level, will cause the person to be thrown ott to one side clear of the wheels, thus reducing the liability of injury to the person to a minimum, while, as before stated, if the fender is brought foroibly into contact with the ground by the sudden jolting or rocking of the car it will yield, and all liability of breakage from this cause be avoided, advantages not possessed by any guard or fender hitherto constructed with y which I am acqnain ted, and which render my invention especially vwell adapted for use in the motor street-cars now commonly used, which, on account of the high speed at which they are run, are the cause of many accidents to life and limb.

Vhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination, with a railway-car, of a self-adjusting fender or guard adapted to rock or oscillate on its pivots toward or from the ground independently of the car to which it is attached, means for holding said fender at the proper level and automatically returning it to its normal position after being rocked or oscillated, and an adjustable stop for limiting the downward rocking movement ot the fender, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with the fender pivoted, as described, and adapted to rock oroscillate toward or from the ground independently of the car toA which it is attached, of the flange or guard g, secured to its under side near the front edge and extending rearwardly and downwardly below the level of said front edge, substantially' as and for the purpose set SILAS S. PUTNAM, JR.

In presence of- P. E. TESCHEMACHER, HARRY W. AIKEN. 

